Supercharger structure for an all terrain vehicle or a utility vehicle

ABSTRACT

A supercharger structure for an all terrain vehicle or a utility vehicle includes an engine body and a supercharging device. The engine body includes a cylinder having an intake passage and an outtake passage. The supercharging device includes a supercharger, a throttle, an intake manifold, and at least one nozzle. The supercharger includes a chamber having an inlet coupled with the throttle and an outlet connected to the intake manifold. The intake manifold and the at least one nozzle intercommunicate with the intake passage. The at least one nozzle is connected to a fuel supply pipe of a vehicle. External air is drawn in by a guiding device in the chamber, flows through the throttle and the inlet into the chamber, and is pressurized. The pressurized air flows through the intake manifold to mix with fuel ejected by the at least one nozzle and then enters the cylinder.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a supercharger structure for an allterrain vehicle or a utility vehicle and, more particularly, to asupercharger structure for increasing the output of an engine.

All terrain vehicles (ATV) or utility vehicles (UTV) are transportationtools for people doing leisure activities and provide excellent chassissuspension systems for travelling over rough terrains.

All terrain vehicles (ATV) or utility vehicles (UTV) generally use thepower of an engine which includes cylinders, pistons, a crankshaft,valves, etc. Air and gasoline are introduced into the cylinders and arecombusted to push pistons for generating mechanical energy, and thewaste gas is discharged. Thus, the engine has a horse power and a torquecorresponding to the displacement of the engine.

However, the volume of an all terrain vehicle or a utility vehicle issmaller than an ordinary car and uses an engine with a smallerdisplacement, such that the output performances cannot fulfill the needsof users having higher demands in performances.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to provide a superchargerstructure for increasing the engine output performance of an all terrainvehicle or a utility vehicle.

A supercharger structure for an all terrain vehicle or a utility vehicleaccording to the present invention includes an engine body and asupercharging device. The engine body includes a cylinder having anintake passage and an outtake passage. The supercharging device includesa supercharger, a throttle, an intake manifold, and at least one nozzle.The supercharger includes a chamber having an inlet and an outlet. Theinlet is coupled with the throttle. The chamber is configured to receivea guiding device operably connected to the engine body. The outlet isconnected to the intake manifold. The intake manifold and the at leastone nozzle intercommunicate with the intake passage of the cylinder. Theat least one nozzle is adapted to be connected to a fuel supply pipe ofa vehicle. External air is drawn in by the guiding device actuated byoperation of the engine body, flows through the throttle and the inletinto the chamber, and is pressurized. The pressurized air flows throughthe intake manifold to mix with fuel ejected by the at least one nozzleand then enters the cylinder.

In an example, the supercharging device further includes an airaccumulator mounted between the cylinder and the supercharger. The airaccumulator includes an air chamber having an input side and an outputside. The input side of the air chamber intercommunicates with theoutlet of the supercharger. The output side of the air chamberintercommunicates with the air intake manifold and the intake passage ofthe cylinder.

In an example, the supercharging device further includes an airaccumulator and a control valve. The supercharger includes a duct at theinlet. The duct is connected to the air accumulator. The control valveis mounted to the duct. The air accumulator is mounted between thecylinder and the supercharger. The air accumulator includes an airchamber having an input side and an output side. The input side of theair chamber intercommunicates with the outlet and the duct of thesupercharger. The output side of the air chamber intercommunicates withthe air intake manifold and the intake passage of the cylinder.

In an example, the at least one nozzle includes two nozzles, and the twonozzles eject fuel into the cylinder simultaneously.

When fuel is added, the control valve is closed, and the external airpasses through the throttle and the inlet into the chamber and ispressurized. The pressurized air passes through the air accumulator intothe intake manifold to mix with fuel ejected by the two nozzles and thenenters the cylinder. The air accumulator provides accumulation ofpressure and buffering between the supercharger and the cylinder. Thus,air can be controlled to enter the intake manifold and the cylinder. Thewaste gas after combustion in the cylinder can be discharged through theouttake passage. The two nozzles can eject a greater amount of fuel inresponse to the pressurized air to increase the engine outputefficiency.

During fuel return or idling of the engine, the throttle can be adjustedto allow a small amount of external air to enter the supercharger. Inthis case, the supercharger creates a negative pressure, and the controlvalve is opened. Furthermore, the duct forms a bypass passagecommunicating the inlet of the supercharger, the air accumulator, andthe outlet of the supercharger. The pressure of the inlet and the outletof the supercharger can be balanced. During fuel return or idling of theengine, the supercharger can operate in a force-saving manner whilepreventing adversely affecting the engine performances. Furthermore, theair can be guided from the air accumulator into the intake manifold andthe cylinder while permitting the air accumulator to accumulate pressurefor the purposes of returning fuel or idling. When fuel is added again,the control valve is closed, the throttle valve is opened to provide alarger opening, and the pressure in the air accumulator can be rapidlyintroduced into the cylinder to improve the accelerating effect.

The present invention will become clearer in light of the followingdetailed description of illustrative embodiments of this inventiondescribed in connection with the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partially exploded, perspective view of a superchargerstructure according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the supercharger structure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic top view illustrating the direction ofsupercharged intake and the return fuel or idle intake of thesupercharger structure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic side view illustrating the direction ofsupercharged intake and the return fuel or idle intake of thesupercharger structure of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a supercharger structure for an allterrain vehicle or a utility vehicle includes an engine body 1 and asupercharging device 2. The engine body 1 includes a cylinder 11 and acrankshaft 12. The cylinder 11 has an intake passage 111 and an outtakepassage 112. An intake valve (not shown) is mounted to the intakepassage 111. An outtake valve (not shown) is mounted to the outtakepassage 112. A piston (not shown) is mounted in the cylinder 11 and isoperably connected to the crankshaft 12, such that the cylinder 11provides a space for combustion and for intake, compression, explosion,and exhaust strokes. Reciprocating movement of the piston causesrotational movement of the crankshaft 12.

The supercharging device 2 includes a supercharger 21, a throttle 22, anair accumulator 23, a control valve 24, an intake manifold 25, and twonozzles 26. The supercharger 21 includes a chamber 211. The chamber 211has an inlet 212 and an outlet 213. The inlet 212 is coupled with thethrottle 22. The outlet 213 is connected to the intake manifold 25. Theintake manifold 25 and the two nozzles 26 intercommunicate with theintake passage 111 of the cylinder 11. The supercharger 21 furtherincludes a duct 214 at the inlet 212. The duct 214 is connected to theair accumulator 23. The control valve 24 is mounted to the duct 214 andcan be a vacuum valve. The chamber 211 is configured to receive animpeller or other guiding device (not shown) operably connected to thecrankshaft 12 of the engine body 1. Operation of the engine body 1actuates the impeller or other guiding device to draw external air toflow through the throttle 22 and the inlet 212 into the chamber 211.

The air accumulator 23 is mounted between the cylinder 11 and thesupercharger 21. The air accumulator 23 includes an air chamber 231having an input side 232 and an output side 233. The input side 232 ofthe air chamber 231 intercommunicates with the outlet 213 of thesupercharger 21 and the duct 214. The output side 233 of the air chamber231 intercommunicates with the air intake manifold 25 and the intakepassage 111 of the cylinder 11. The nozzles 26 are adapted to beconnected to a fuel supply pipe of a vehicle. The air in the air chamber231 can mix with fuel and then be guided into the cylinder 11.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the double arrow indicates thedirection of supercharged intake, and the single arrow indicates thedirection of the return fuel or idle intake. Operation of the piston(not shown) in the engine body 1 actuates the crankshaft 12 and thesupercharging device 2 to generate a pressure in the chamber 211 of thesupercharger 21. When fuel is added, the control valve 24 is closed, andthe external air passes through the throttle 22 and the inlet 212 intothe chamber 211 and is pressurized. The pressurized air passes throughthe air accumulator 23 into the intake manifold 25 to mix with fuelejected by the two nozzles 26 and then enters the cylinder 11. The airaccumulator 23 provides accumulation of pressure and buffering betweenthe supercharger 21 and the cylinder 11. Thus, air can be controlled toenter the intake manifold 25 and the cylinder 11. The waste gas aftercombustion in the cylinder 11 can be discharged through the outtakepassage 112. The two nozzles 26 can eject a greater amount of fuel inresponse to the pressurized air to increase the engine outputefficiency.

During fuel return or idling of the engine, the throttle 22 can beadjusted to allow a small amount of external air to enter thesupercharger 21. In this case, the supercharger 21 creates a negativepressure, and the control valve 24 is opened. Furthermore, the duct 214forms a bypass passage communicating the inlet 212 of the supercharger21, the air accumulator 23, and the outlet 213 of the supercharger 21.The pressure of the inlet 212 and the outlet 213 of the supercharger 21can be balanced. During fuel return or idling of the engine, thesupercharger 21 can operate in a force-saving manner while preventingadverse influence on the engine performances. Furthermore, the air canbe guided from the air accumulator 23 into the intake manifold 25 andthe cylinder 11 while permitting the air accumulator 23 to accumulatepressure for the purposes of returning fuel or idling.

When fuel is added again, the control valve 24 is closed, the throttlevalve 22 is opened to provide a larger opening, and the pressure in theair accumulator 23 can be rapidly introduced into the cylinder 11 toimprove the accelerating effect.

In view of the foregoing, the supercharger structure according to thepresent invention can significantly increase the engine efficiency of anall terrain vehicle or a utility vehicle while fulfilling the vehicleperformance demands of the user. Furthermore, the air accumulator 23 andthe bypass duct 214 can increase the stability and efficiency of addingfuel, returning fuel, or idling.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described,numerous modifications and variations are still possible withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention. The scope of the invention islimited by the accompanying claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A supercharger structure for an all terrainvehicle or a utility vehicle comprising: an engine body including acylinder, wherein the cylinder has an intake passage and an outtakepassage; and a supercharging device including a supercharger, athrottle, an intake manifold, and at least one nozzle, wherein thesupercharger includes a chamber, wherein the chamber has an inlet and anoutlet, wherein the inlet is coupled with the throttle, wherein thechamber is configured to receive a guiding device operably connected tothe engine body, wherein the outlet is connected to the intake manifold,wherein the intake manifold and the at least one nozzle intercommunicatewith the intake passage of the cylinder, wherein the at least one nozzleis adapted to be connected to a fuel supply pipe of a vehicle, whereinoperation of the engine body actuates the guiding device to drawexternal air to flow through the throttle and the inlet into the chamberand is pressurized, and wherein the pressurized air flows through theintake manifold to mix with fuel ejected by the at least one nozzle andthen enters the cylinder.
 2. The supercharger structure for the allterrain vehicle or the utility vehicle as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe supercharging device further includes an air accumulator mountedbetween the cylinder and the supercharger, wherein the air accumulatorincludes an air chamber having an input side and an output side, whereinthe input side of the air chamber intercommunicates with the outlet ofthe supercharger, and wherein the output side of the air chamberintercommunicates with the air intake manifold and the intake passage ofthe cylinder.
 3. The supercharger structure for the all terrain vehicleor the utility vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the superchargingdevice further includes an air accumulator and a control valve, whereinthe supercharger includes a duct at the inlet, wherein the duct isconnected to the air accumulator, wherein the control valve is mountedto the duct, wherein the air accumulator is mounted between the cylinderand the supercharger, wherein the air accumulator includes an airchamber having an input side and an output side, wherein the input sideof the air chamber intercommunicates with the outlet and the duct of thesupercharger, and wherein the output side of the air chamberintercommunicates with the air intake manifold and the intake passage ofthe cylinder.
 4. The supercharger structure for the all terrain vehicleor the utility vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engine bodyfurther includes a crankshaft configured to be operably connected to theguiding device of the supercharger.
 5. The supercharger structure forthe all terrain vehicle or the utility vehicle as claimed in claim 1,wherein the at least one nozzle includes two nozzles, and wherein thetwo nozzles eject fuel into the cylinder simultaneously.
 6. Thesupercharger structure for the all terrain vehicle or the utilityvehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control valve is a vacuumvalve.